Location: 31° 38.5 S, 16° 49 W
Saturday 12:00, 08.12.2006

The Schooner Maggie B was at 31° 38.5 S, 16° 49 W at noon on Saturday, August 12. We did 236 NM in the last 24 hours, for an average of 9.83 knots, not bad for a 35 ton gaff schooner with a design hull speed of 10.2 knots!

This is just what the Maggie B was designed and built for — 30 knots of wind (Beaufort 7 or Near Gale) at 120 degrees relative. We are also getting a nice assist from some major SW’erly swells, averaging 12 feet with many much higher. The Maggie B surfs along the wave, like a pro, not just diving down them. We have seen 14.3 knots on the GPS whilst surfing.

We were on port tack last night, with the NW’erly, but very much anticipating the cold front passage. It came at 5 AM, on Lieve’s watch (just like the last one….) and we all turned out to jibe her over in the pre-dawn grayness and 28 knots of wind. All went smoothly.

The boat is nicely steady. The lee rail is mostly about two feet out of the water and only occasional packets of spray come off passing waves. The sails are balanced with two reefs in the main and one in the fore with a full jib. The wind has been 25-35 knots with a gust or two to 40. Jorge (the Furuno autopilot) is doing an excellent job in very tough conditions, probably better than the humans on board. Both yesterday and today we were able to sit down at the crew mess and have a nice hot meal while she was at hull speed and surfing occasionally. Today’s lunch was Mahi Mahi steaks breaded and done in a hot pan, with fried onions and a cole slaw with tomatoes, pine nuts, apple and raisins.

We are joined by a dozen or so seabirds — petrels and shearwaters — with today’s newcomer being the dazzling Pinterato Petrel, the fighter pilot of the Blue Water birds.

We are continuing heading right for Cape Town or actually 100 NM South of Cape Town as many have advised us to hold off South until a bit past lest we be blown back West in common SE’erly gales and the additional push of the very strong Westerly current. It looks as if we will have another day of “riding” LaVerne — this low — before she leaves and is replaced by Hector, our third High of the passage, which will again give us no winds or a light head wind, while we wait for Libby, the next low racing East.

We have some great photos and video, which we will get up on the site as soon as possible.

All is well.